Nail polish template



Oct. 6, 1953 R, FRANK ET AL 2,654,375

NAIL POLISH TEMPLATE Filed Nov. 28, 1951 3nnentor-5 B1; W4 M (Ittorneg Patented Oct. 6, 1953 2,654, 75 NAIL POLISH TEMPLATE Ruth L. Frank and Robert J. Frank, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application November 28, 1951, Serial No. 258,652

The invention relates to templates to be applied to the finger, around the finger nail, to expose the portion of the finger nail to be coated, and has for its object to provide a device of this kind having a rubber or neoprene template member comprising oppositely disposed spring arms adapted to engage opposite sides of the finger, and spring urged towards opposite sides of the finger for holding the template in position in relation to the nail.

A further object isto provide the outer ends of the arms with downwardly, outwardly and inclined portions adapted to terminate beneath the finger, and preferably rearwardly of the first finger joint, and prevent upward movement of the outer end of the device when the template is bowed upwardly, and the inner edge of the opening through the template is positioned beneath the outer end of the nail to be coated, thereby maintaining the device substantially P in axial alignment with the finger.

A further object is to provide opposite sides of the template with tubular portions for pre- 9 Claims. (01. 132--88.5)

venting tearing of thetemplate, and for the re- 7 ception of the handling of the stretching and free end of the arms, said arms being normally urged towards each other for a finger clamping operation by the spring coil.

With the above and other objects in View the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the template showing the template applied to a finger.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1, showing, in dotted lines, the arms spread apart, during the applying or removing operation.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the forward portion of the device.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the template showing the template stretched, and in the form it will assume when applied to the finger.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken-on line E56 of Figure 5, but showing the template in flat form.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l designates a nail to be coated with any desired liquid coating, and in any color, and 2 the outer finger joint of the bone structure. In describing the device, a finger 3 will be described, however it is to be understood the template may be used for coating toe nails if desired.

The template 4 is formed from soft rubber or neoprene and it may be made of any thickness, however it is preferably thin and stretchable in all directions. Template 4 is provided with a central opening 5, which opening 5 registers with the upper side of the nail, and can be stretched and deformed laterally in all directions for exposingthat part of the nail to be coated. Opposite sides of the template 4 are provided with longitudinally extending tubular portions 6, preferably formed integral therewith, the purpose of which will presently appear. l

The template 4 is mounted on a stretching and applying device 1. The stretching and applying device is formed from crossed arms 8 which cross at 9, and are normally urged towards each other for gripping opposite sides of the finger 3 by a connecting coil Ill. The outer ends 8a of the crossed arms 8 extend through the tubular portions 6 of the template 4, and to the outside of the template tubular member terminate in downwardly and inwardly extending arms H, which arms underlie opposite sides of the finger 3 to prevent upward movement of the outer end of the device in relation to the finger when the device is clamped onto the fin ger, which would be the tendency incident to the arched stretching of the outer end of the template as shown in Figure 1. The inner end of the template aperture engages under the finger nail, as shown at I2 in Figure 4, therefore it will be seen that the device is held substantially in alignment with the finger after it has been applied to the finger, hence out of the way of the other hand of the operator, during a nail coating operation.

When applying the device to the finger, the operator squeezes the arms 8 towards each other, as shown in Figure 2, moving the parts to the dotted line position shown in said figure. Upon release of the pressure on opposite sides of the device, the members II will pass under the finger, preferably to the rear of the bone joint 2. The device is then pivoted to finger alignment which will cause the template to conform to the nail curvature, and following which, the forward end of the template is passed under the nail. If desired, this operation may be reversed.

In devices heretofore constructed, there is danger of marring or smearing the nail coating when removing the template. In the present device, it will be noted that when the arms are sprung towards each other, the arms 81:. will stretch the template opening transversely of the finger nail, hence there is no danger of smearing the wet nail coating or causing a ragged edge, and the template edges are pulled away from the coating edges.

The templates are formed from relatively cheap material hence, a device of this kind can be sold cheaply with a number of templates to be discarded after each use, if desired.

From the above it will be seen that a nail template is provided, which is simple in construction, the parts reduced to a minimum, and one which may be cheaply manufactured and sold.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A finger nail template and carrying device, said template being formed from a flat piece of stretchable material having a nail exposing opening therethrough adapted to register with a finger nail, said carrying device comprising spaced arms urged towards each other and adapted to grip opposite sides of a finger below a finger nail and deform the flat piece of stretchable material to conform to the outline and curvature of a finger nail, opposite sides of said template being attached to the spaced arms.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the outer ends of said spaced arms curved downwardly and inwardly towards each other and adapted to arch the under side of a finger at opposite sides thereof and anchor the outer end of the carrying device against upward displacement when the finger nail overlies the inner side of the template opening.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein opposite sides of the template are provided with tubular portions, said spaced arms extending through said tubular portions.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the outer ends of the spaced arms to the outside of the template curve downwardly, and then inwardly towards each other for engaging the under side of the finger thereby anchoring the outer end of the carrying device against upward displacement when the template is stretched in arcuate form transversely over the nail.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the spaced arms are in crossed relation and have a spring action towards each other.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the spaced arms are in crossed relation intermediate their ends and the inner ends of the arms are connected together by spring loop means.

'7. A finger nail template and carrier, said carrier comprising spaced arms, spring means in connection with said arms for urging the arms towards each other, a stretchable template connecting said arms and adapted to outline a finger nail, the outer ends of the arms beyond the template curving downwardly in opposite relation and terminating in portions inclining downwardly and inwardly towards each other.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7 wherein the arms are in crossed relation.

9. A device as set forth in claim 7 wherein opposite sides of the template are provided with tubular members, said arms extending through .said tubular members.

RUTH L.- FRANK. ROBERT J. FRANK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,209,167 McKinney July 23, 1940 2,283,703 Stedman May 19, 1942 

